


You Teach Me and I'll Teach You

by dearmrsawyer



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Gen, Gym Employee Liam, Platonic OT5, Pokemon Food-developer Zayn, Pokemon Nurse Louis, Ranger Niall, Trainer Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 00:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearmrsawyer/pseuds/dearmrsawyer
Summary: Harry gets a part-time job at the Pewter City Pokemon Centre to earn some money for his travels and Louis could not be less thrilled.A Pokemon AU featuring OT5 friendship, the ethics of Pokemon training, and a few possible extra-terrestrials.





	You Teach Me and I'll Teach You

**Author's Note:**

> This fic includes pokemon from the Indigo and Johto series as they're my true pokemon roots.
> 
> [Here](http://bit.ly/2DXdyZ9) you will find a doc with the names and images of every pokemon mentioned in this fic, for those who need it!
> 
> Thank you very much to Justine and Steph for excitedly following the progress of this fic, and to Carlie for the ever necessary beta job. 
> 
> My dream for a pokemon au has finally been realised, and I hope all who find their way here enjoy.

Louis adjusts the temperature of the heating pad, watching the tension seep out of Flareon’s body. She curls up loosely, mane burning happily with the extra warmth.

“That’s it, girl,” he murmurs, lowering the hood over the pod so it keeps warm while she recharges.

Across the room a Charmander is curled up on a bed of coals, its orange coat bright and sleek. It’s set to be discharged this afternoon, so Louis does a final check of its vitals just to make sure it's back at maximum health. Charmander keeps one eye on him as he runs through the checklist, clearly wary but allowing him to work. He eyes it in return—Charmander are notorious for their attitudes, and respect is often only earned by giving it right back.

“Think you’re all good, bud,” he quips, and Charmander huffs absently, closing its eye. Louis smiles; that’s about all the thanks he expects.

Louis sees a familiar flash go by the window and tucks his tablet under his arm. He’ll finish his rounds later.

The hall is notably cooler as a fresh wave of aircon washes over his face when he steps outside. He quickly pulls the door to the Fire Pod shut so its warmth doesn’t escape, and heads through the staff door to the front desk.

Lottie is manning the desk, her hands currently full of a young woman’s pokéballs. Louis side steps her as she heads for the scale, and does a quick scan of the room. There are a couple of kids in the courtesy seats, an older man at the PC in the corner, and a few people queued for assistance at the front desk.

Louis looks past all of them and spots a familiar figure removing a helmet outside, tucking it over the handlebars of his bike before lifting a tall pile of boxes from the carrier on the back.

Zayn does a bit of a jig to catch the attention of the door’s sensor, and then walks inside, right up to Louis, who is leant back against the desk with his arms folded.

“About time.”

Zayn rolls his eyes. “Help? No, no, I’m fine thanks.”

“You look like you’ve got it,” Louis smiles, inspecting his nails.

“I do have years of unassisted practice under my belt.”

“I’m glad you’re here, actually.”

“I’d hope so, since the pokémon in your care don’t get to eat without me.” Zayn kicks out unsteadily but misses Louis’ shin.

Louis ignores this, head dropping back. “Today’s gonna be a nightmare,” he moans.

“What’s the issue today?”

Louis frowns. “Don’t say that like there’s one every day.”

Zayn gives him a scrutinising look. “Isn’t there?”

“Some mate you are. Can I please unload now?”

Zayn, arms full, raises an eyebrow.

“Fine, fine, you first.”

Louis pushes open the waist-high gate to allow Zayn behind the front desk and then swipes him through to the staff area. They head through the hall to the storeroom.

Zayn drops the boxes onto the nearest surface—Louis already has his mind on who he’ll have sort them.

“Okay, so what’s the problem?” Zayn prompts, flexing his fingers.

Louis squeezes his eyes shut and groans. “The new kid’s starting this morning.”

“Oh yeah, Jay mentioned you had a trainer joining the payroll,” says absently, eyes scanning the labels on the boxes and counting them off on one hand.

Louis’ eyes snap back open. “What? You and mum are best buds now?”

“It’s an important business relationship, I need to foster it,” Zayn angles.

Louis rolls his eyes.

“Anyway, can you believe mum hired a trainer of all people. A _trainer_.”

Zayn shakes his head. “You really need to let go of your prejudices.”

“ _My_ prejudices? You work in a Pokémon Centre for four years and see if you’re so cavalier about it.”

Zayn snorts, straightening up.

“Alright, I’ve got a few more deliveries. See you tonight.”

“Yeah, later.”

Alone once again, Louis considers hiding out in the storeroom to unpack the boxes himself if it’ll keep him clear of what’s to come.

Then again, nothing is worth unpacking boxes.

***

Inevitability catches up with Louis within the hour.

Just as he hits enter on the exchange pod, Nurse Jay’s voice comes clear as day through the intercom.

“Lou, you free?”

The three pokéballs fitted within the pod dematerialise into red light and disappear, on their way to Saffron City.

“Just a sec!”

He waits for confirmation from Saffron before logging the transfer as complete.

There’s rarely a quiet day at the Pokémon Centre, with trainers in and out as well as everyday townsfolk that bring their pokémon in for a check-up. Louis finds the constant rhythm works for him though. He likes to be kept busy with the pokémon in his care.

The week of the Indigo League is usually their quietest period, with all the trainers off to watch or participate. It can be dead boring. Normally he’d spend the time complaining, but this year Louis thinks he’d give anything to be bored.

Nurse Jay, Louis’ mum, is at the front desk smiling warmly at a young man with curls dusting his shoulders and wide, wandering eyes.

“Mum?”

Jay’s eyes alight on Louis, who avoids eye contact with the stranger.

“Love, I want you to meet Harry, the new member of our team. He’ll be with us for a little while.”

Harry politely offers his hand. It’s almost obnoxiously large, glittering with an overabundance of the most ornate rings Louis’ ever seen. “Nice you meet you.”

“Uh, same.” Louis shakes it with the briefest glance at Harry’s face, trying not to cut his hand on the bling.

“Harry’s taking a little time off from his training,” Jay explains in that way people do when they’re repeating information they’ve just received word for word.

“Just gotta fill up the piggy bank,” Harry grins.

Louis pulls his hand back promptly.

Jay straightens out the white hat atop her head. “I’ll leave you in Louis’ capable hands, then. It’s lovely to have you with us, Harry.”

“Thank you, Jay.” He waves her off as she turns to greet a man waiting at the desk with his Nidoking towering over the room.

Louis leads Harry around the counter and swipes them into the staff area. The glass splits to grant them access to a long, wide hallway with labelled doors in every direction.

“Will I get one of those?” Harry points at the swipe card dangling around Louis’ neck.

“We all do. I’ll, uh, check with Marie to see if yours is ready later.”

Harry nods agreeably.

Louis feels a little out of his depth here, with Harry standing on his heels waiting for guidance. Looking after pokémon, he can do. Looking after people isn’t really in his wheelhouse.

“So…” he flounders. “Okay, I guess I’ll just…? I’ll take you ‘round.”

He loops them around every door coming off the hall; he shows Harry the Fire Pod, with its heating pads and coal beds and the large stone oven where fire types can regulate their temperature. There’s the Charging Room for electric types (Harry is particularly taken with a Pikachu whose cheeks are attached to charging cables in the nearest pod). He shows Harry the Aquatic Room, where they have a few pools of varying sizes and depths to cater for a range of water pokémon. There’s a greenhouse, an aviary, a sleeping bay, the exchange station and a reviving station, where pokémon can be recharged while inside their pokéballs.

“It’s not as good for the pokémon but you know trainers, always in a rush,” Louis bristles somewhat pointedly. Harry doesn’t seem to pick up on it, neck craning to take in as much as he can.

They circle back to the top of the hall, and Louis spins on his heels.

“So… I guess that’s it. Any questions?” Louis throws his hand out in a rather lacklustre gesture.

Harry thumbs at the backpack slung over his shoulder. “Is there somewhere I can put my things?”

 “Oh, uh, yeah, this way.”

He directs them back to the staff room they passed earlier.

“Do you bring your pokémon to work with you, or do you leave them at home?”

“If they can help out, we bring them. Chansey belongs to mum—Nurse Jay; she’s here everyday. I’ll bring Jolteon or Raichu if we need some extra help in the Charging Room. The healthiest way to heal pokémon is via their peers, it’s how they do it in the wild, you know? Makes them feel more comfortable. They’re not always keen on machines.”

Harry nods along like he’s mulling over something particularly complex.

“We do have a couple of pens in the back for pokémon waiting to be picked up. You could let yours hang out there if you’re set on bringing them.” Louis knows trainers tend to bring their pokémon everywhere with them. He’s less concerned for Harry and more for his pokémon, who may not be used to the separation.

Harry’s face lights up. “That’d be great! They can, like, socialise.”

“Yeah, you just gotta be careful that you don’t mix pokémon with certain temperaments,” Louis warns.

“Of course.”

“I’m sure we can keep any problem cases separate.”

Harry takes a couple of quick steps to catch up with Louis’ pace. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Should be fine,” Louis shrugs.

He lets Harry drops his belongings in the staffroom to find Marie has already prepared his swipe card. Harry accepts it eagerly, a glint of power in his eyes.

Harry seems eager to get started once orientation is over, so Louis brings him to the sleeping bay, where he’d left off his rounds.

“Just… follow me. Gotta finish the morning check on everyone’s status.”

Harry gives a keen bob of the head and stands at Louis’ shoulder as he goes over the stats of every pokémon in the room.

By the time they’ve made it to the Aquatic Room, Harry is already barely able to keep himself still. He lags behind with every second pokémon they check, and Louis had to double back to the Aviary when he’d realised he was alone. Harry had been offering his hand to a Hoothoot at the water station.

Louis hands him a satchel of seaweed and lets him handfeed a young Poliwag just to keep him occupied while Louis checks in on each of the water pokémon currently in their care.

“Does your whole family work here?”

Louis hums in the affirmative without turning around.

“Is that fun? I bet it’d be fun.”

“It’s alright.”

“Or are you all sick of each other by the time you get home?”

“Don’t live at home anymore, so,” Louis vaguely answers.

“Where do you live?”

Louis cancels the last setting he mistyped. “Got a place with a mate of mine.”

“This city isn’t much bigger than my home town. Does everyone here know each other?”

“Just about,” Louis says through gritted teeth, typing slowly.

“Does that mean you know who owns the gym here?”

“Yep.”

“Are you friends?”

“Yep.”

“Cool! I haven’t been there yet. Not sure I’m ready, you know? Need to do some more training, maybe a bit of recon. Do you think—”

“Harry, I’m trying to concentrate here.”

“Sorry.”

Louis finishes entering his data in the silence that follows. It’s intermittently interrupted by Harry laughing at Poliwag, who hops eagerly for every piece of seaweed Harry offers.

Just as Louis spins around to say that he has all the pokémon here on a strict, specific eating plan, and could Harry please not overfeed this pokémon he has vowed to care for, a large headlight above the door turns red, and the words die on his tongue.

“What’s that?” Harry asks when Louis drops his tablet on the bench at his hip.

“Means we’ve got an injured pokémon inbound for this pod.”

The door swings open and Nurse Jay pushes in a gurney holding a poor-looking Squirtle. Harry’s stiff on his feet and Poliwag hops back to one of the pools with all the sudden activity. 

“Diagnosis?” Louis asks, immediately pulling the other end of the gurney towards the potion station.

“Hit with a powerful Poison Sting,” Jay says. “Trainer’s waiting outside when you’re ready.”

Jay pats his hand and Louis nods to confirm he can manage, and then she disappears back out the door. Harry appears at his side as he pulls on a pair of gloves.

“Is it going to be okay?” he asks, lip pulled tight between his teeth.

“It’ll be fine, can you just—I need—”

He brushes past Harry and runs his fingers along the potion vials running along the wall. He grabs one Jay had tailored for poison type injuries, and attaches a teet to one end.

“Can I—”

“I need some space, Harry.”

Harry steps back so Louis can come around to the front of the gurney, where Squirtle is lying lethargic on its front, eyes drooping. Louis gently guides the potion to its mouth, patiently waiting for it to latch. It takes a moment, but then—

“That’s it,” Louis encourages, running one hand down Squirtle’s shell. It’s scuffed, but thankfully not chipped.

“Must’ve been one hell of a battle,” Harry murmurs, almost reverent.

Louis feels anger immediately flare up inside and grits his teeth, tightening his grip on the vial.

“What is wrong with you?”

“What?”

“All that battle did was cause a pokémon pain,” he snaps. Harry flinches, and so does a Marill eyeing them from the shallow pool. Louis feels a twinge of guilt and takes a deep, measured breath to focus on his patient.

Squirtle drinks slowly so Louis crouches down, holding the vial still. The other pokémon in the Aquatic Room are quiet. He can feel the tension whenever an injured pokémon is brought in, can see most of their eyes on Squirtle now as they watch him work.

It seems Harry can feel it too, a quiet, “um,” and Louis glances up to see him scanning the room.

“They’re just worried,” Louis says softly, calmly, drawing Harry’s attention back to him. “Pokémon are symbiotic, they can read and feed on each other’s energies." It’s one of the great challenges working in a Pokémon Centre, to do what they do and maintain an atmosphere of healing, rather than suffering. " _Don’t_ panic,” he presses, meeting Harry’s eyes. “It’s not good for them.”

Harry gives a stuttered nod. His hand hovers in mid-air, inches towards Squirtle but then pulls back.

“I’ll need to get it in the soaking pool in a sec, then maybe a shell wax if I’ve got time,” Louis mumbles, mostly to himself, as Squirtle finishes the potion. It barely lifts its chin, too tired to move and so unlike a healthy Squirtle’s nature, so Louis tips the vial up instead.

Once its empty, he straightens up and turns the gurney towards a waist-high pool tucked into the corner of the room.

“Do you need any help?” Harry asks, stepping after him eagerly.

“There are some boxes in the storeroom that need unpacking,” Louis says over his shoulder.

***

Despite the name, Pewter city isn’t much of a city. You can circle the entire place in an hour, less when travelling by Ponyta.

Louis still hasn’t sprung for that bike, so he walks to and from work. He can walk the route with his eyes closed, and often does with them at least averted. That is, until Niall brought home his most recent catch.

Louis stops at the bottom of the driveway, eyes narrowed as they sweep from side to side. Everything appears clear, but when he takes two steps forward the light catches on a thin thread stretched above the porch steps.

He represses a shudder and ducks well clear of the web, eyes darting around suspiciously. He jumps when he spots Spinarak scuttling across the banister.

“No!” He rushes inside and slams the door.

“Lou, that you?” a voice calls from deep inside. It’s quickly followed by Niall, who finds Louis leaning heavily against the door.

“I’m literally begging you to keep that thing inside its ball,” he groans.

“Did you shut him out again?” Niall frowns.

“Don’t—no, stop right there, there’s no way you’re opening this door.”

“He’s mine!”

“And when you live in your own place he can do what he pleases. But as long as I’m around—wait, don’t you dare—”

“Can I at least take him to my room?”

“And how can I be sure that’s where it’ll stay?”

Niall sighs. “I’ll keep my door closed and open my window.”

“Fine,” Louis grumbles, stepping away from the door. “Haven’t been able to keep my window open since you brought it home anyway.”

He times his glance backward poorly, just in time to see Spinarak scurry into Niall’s hand and up his arm. A shiver runs down his spine.

He goes to the bathroom and fakes washing his hands until he hears Niall’s door close.

There’s a leftover box of pizza in the fridge so Louis kicks his feet up on the lounge and dives in.

Halfway through his first bite he detects a distinct lack of sausage. Looking down, he sees far more green than pizza has any right to have.

“What the—”

His eyes shoot up at Niall when he returns.

“Where’s my pizza?”

Niall shrugs. “You know I’m not involved in any of that. The cheese is bad for my reflux.”

Louis slams the pizza lid down, roaring, “LIAM.”

Rather fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one’s perspective), the man himself walks in at that very moment.

“No respect,” Louis shouts, pointing at Liam, who freezes in the doorway. Liam grabs ineffectually at his hair and face, trying to remove something that Louis suspects he couldn’t see until he’d walked through it. “Ha! Serves you right.”

“What?”

“Don’t go ordering a vegetarian if you’re just gonna poach another man’s meatlovers the next morning!”

Liam rolls his eyes, wiping a hand down his front and shaking it out before he closes the door.

“I believe _this_ ,” Louis presses the pizza box against Liam’s chest, “belongs to you. I’m gonna go see if Zayn has anything good left.”

Louis walks confidently down the steps, web now cleared, then up the neighbouring steps, and knocks.

It’s a consecutive seven seconds of knocking, which even for Zayn is a slow response, before the door opens.

“Finally, I’m getting malnourished just standi—”

“ _Jynx?_ ”

Louis finds himself face to face with Zayn’s Jynx, who fixes him with her startled, unblinking stare. “Oh, sorry, Z not home yet?”

“ _Jynx_.”

“Alright, well I’m just gonna check his fridge real quick then can you let him know I called?”

“ _Jynx_.”

“Thanks.”

Two minutes later, Louis’ back on his own couch, a tub of takeout in his lap that he’s sure Zayn won’t miss.

“Hey, how’s the new guy?” Liam asks, sat across from him with his pizza.

“Ugh, dreadful.”

“I doubt it.”

“Pesky. Eager. Overbearing.”

“Mhm, sounds like a nightmare.”

“You’ve no idea.”

“Well,” Liam muses. “He’s still learning. I’m sure once he’s more familiar with the place he’ll ease off.”

“Not likely,” Louis mutters. “He likes to _chat_.”

“Louis, you talk more than anyone I’ve ever met, I don’t think you can throw stones.”

Louis successfully hits Liam in the forehead with a piece of shrimp.

“What’s his name?” Niall’s head buried in the fridge, muffling his voice.

“Harry, and he’s a _trainer_ too. Had a bucket of questions about you,” he points at Liam.

“Don’t think he’s been by the gym yet,” Liam says thoughtfully.

“Nah, not yet. Said he’s working up to it.”

“How many badges has he got so far?”

Louis gives him a critical look. “Does it look like I asked?”

“You’re incredibly unpersonable considering you need to be in company every second of the day.”

“Unpersonable? Niall, can you believe this?”

“How dare you, Liam.”

“Thank you, Niall.”

“He’s well loved among all three of his friends!”

A second piece of shrimp bounces off Niall’s back.

“Can’t stand the lot of you, actually,” Louis grouses. He sits two fingers against his bottom lip and whistles. There’s the distant, dull thud of four paws hitting the ground and then Arcanine trots into the room, ears perked.

“Come here, bud!” Louis pats his leg and Arcanine obliges. Louis gives him a piece of ham for his obedience.

“He’s the only one in this room that cares about me.” Louis sticks out his chin.

“He only cares about your food.”

“My food, actually.”

Three heads turn to see Zayn has let himself in, and Arcanine instantly greets him.

“See,” Liam laughs. “Zayn always smells of food. Arcanine’s driven by his nose.”

“That why he steers clear of you, then?” Louis says, petty and unrepentant.

“Looks like you survived orientation day,” Zayn grins, scratching between Arcanine’s ears.

“Barely,” Louis moans.

“Why, what’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing,” Niall laughs. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with him.”

“Just something wrong with Louis,” Liam nods, ducking beneath another shrimp that Arcanine scrambles for.

“Saw him on my way out this morning,” Zayn shrugs, dropping onto the arm of Liam’s chair. “Seemed alright? No glaring offenses.”

“He’s a trainer,” Niall wiggled his fingers. “Evil incarnate!”

“You really do need to chill on the whole trainer thing,” Liam grins, shaking his head. “I think it’s overkill.”

“Excuse me? Your family works in a gym, you facilitate those lunatics. Why should I listen to you?”

But Liam just shakes his head again, smiling like it’s an argument he’s had before, which he has, and won, which he has.

“You should invite him out for a drink,” Zayn suggests, easy as breathing.

Louis almost chokes on his mouthful, taking a good twenty seconds to finish spluttering, chew, and swallow before glaring right at Zayn.

“And why in the names of Zaptos, Moltres, and Articuno would I do that?”

“He’s new around here, probably doesn’t know anyone.” Zayn’s eyes are soft, sympathetic in that way he gets when meeting a new pokémon – like it deserves some sort of kindness only he can provide.

Louis, for one, is not about to endorse his charity.

“There are plenty of people in town he can get to know.”

“Actually, its kind of a small town. Pewter ‘City’ is really overstating it.”

“Whose side are you even on, Niall?”

“Oh hey, Ni,” Zayn interrupts, pulling away Niall’s attention. “Spinarak around? I’m trying a new recipe for bug types, wanna see how the little guy enjoys it.”

“Oh yeah! I’ll just grab him.”

As Niall turns towards the hall, Louis is already halfway to his room.

“No, _no_ , I am not watching that thing eat.”

***

“Lou, have you seen Harry?”

Louis adjusts a UV light suspended above the bed of Oddish and Gloom. They hum happily and settle into the grass, huddled together.

“He’s outside grooming the Vulpix that came in this morning.”

“Let him know his shift’s about done. Hardly ever keeps track of the time, but he’s got a strong work ethic.”

Louis is slightly worried by the way his mother speaks as if they share a long history when Harry’s only been here two days, but he does as she says.

As expected, Harry’s in one of the pens outside where a Dodrio, Nidorina, and two Vileplume are soaking up the sun. Harry’s spent most of the day out here. Louis doesn’t mind as it’s allowed him to get on with his duties.

Vulpix is curled up in Harry’s lap as he brushes out her glossy fur. Louis smiles. They only have her for a day but the shine on her coat is already more noticeable.

“Hey.” Harry jumps slightly, jolting Vulpix. “Sorry,” Louis winces. “But shift’s done, you’re free to go.”

“Oh! Okay, I’ll just finish up.”

Louis nods and retreats back to the washroom so he can bump out as well. He has to clear a few potions away before changing out of his coat and grabbing his things, but Harry still only gets to the washroom as he’s heading out. Harry likes to give a proper goodbye to all the pokémon he tends to. Louis used to be the same, but he’s cut it down a lot over the years. He incorporates that sort of thing into his rounds now. Plus, he’ll see a lot of these pokémon tomorrow.

He nods to Harry on his way out and meets Zayn at the entrance, where he’s sitting cross-legged in a courtesy waiting chair.

“Ready?”

“Here, aren’t I?” They bump fists.

“Harry coming?”

“Uh, no.”

“Did you ask him?”

Louis knows his millisecond of hesitation gives him away. “Yes.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“He doesn’t seem like he’d be into it. Come on, let’s go before—”

Louis has his arm curved around Zayn’s shoulders, herding him towards the door, but too late.

“Lou, you left your watch!”

Louis flinches, turning back with a pained smile. Harry strides towards them, arm already outstretched like returning Louis’ watch is a matter of the utmost urgency.

“Oh, that’s—”

“Hi, we haven’t met,” Zayn cuts in, overly-enthusiastic. He sticks out his hand. “I’m Zayn.”

“Harry,” Harry beams, his free hand swallowing Zayn’s whole. He absently hands Louis the watch. “I think I’ve seen you around?”

“Yeah, I’m here most days doing deliveries. How’re your first few days working out?”

“Amazing, I love it here.” Harry clasps his hands and holds them tight against his front. “It’s kind of a dream, honestly. Almost makes me wanna give up training.”

Louis barely succeeds in hiding his snort. Zayn presses his heel back onto his toe and Louis yelps.

“Hey, so do you wanna come grab a drink with us?”

Louis’ head snaps up so fast he feels his neck click. Zayn very deliberately does not look away from Harry’s face.

“Really?” A smile spreads from the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah! Just me, Lou, and a couple of mates. Get you a chance to go out.” Zayn nudges Louis, who gives a strained smile that only appears to amuse Zayn.

“That’d be… I’d love that.” Harry glances between Zayn and Louis like he isn’t sure who gets the final say. Zayn apparently feels confident enough to take the initiative.

“Great! You ready to head out now?”

“Yeah, yes, absolutely!”

“Wicked.”

Zayn claps Harry on the shoulder and leads the way. Louis wishes with all his might his glare was as powerful as a Ghastly’s.

***

The PokéPub is Pewter City’s most popular establishment, largely due to the fact that it’s the only bar in town. Louis tries to meet up with his mates a couple of times a week, at least.

Zayn leads Louis and Harry in the front door, past a few clustered tables and through a pair of open French doors into the garden. Enclosed by a picket fence and lined with shrubs, it holds half a dozen picnic tables topped with dark green umbrellas. It’s hard to get comfortable inside with anything bigger than an Eevee so Louis prefers the outdoor seating.

Every table appears to be occupied, but Zayn winds in between them. Louis waves at Amir, shopkeeper at the Pokémart, and his Sneasel who’s sat atop the table candidly eating from the bowl of nuts.

At the other end of the garden, Louis spots a beefy figure idling by a particularly large shrub with Scyther, and heads straight for him.

“Liam, how’ve you been, mate?”

Machoke turns, slightly startled and fists half raised. Louis jumps back in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh, sorry, buddy.”

“Seriously, Louis?”

Louis spins around to face Liam, seated beside Niall at the nearest table.

“Sorry, mate. You two just look so alike.”                      

Niall bites his lips between his teeth to minimise his grin, but Liam’s as utterly stone-faced as the last time Louis made the same joke.

 They both brighten when they spot the unfamiliar face at Zayn’s shoulder.

“Lads, this is Harry, just started over at the Centre with Louis yesterday.”

Niall and Liam have the decency to act like this is news, and not like Louis spent the previous night whining about it. Niall pats the empty slab of bench beside himself as Zayn slips in beside Liam, leaving Louis to do a quick scan and make sure Spinarak isn’t around before settling beside Harry.

“Where you from, Harry?” Niall asks, turning bodily towards him.

“Viridian City.”

“Not too far from here,” Liam nods.

“You’re a trainer, yeah?” Zayn prompts, smirking at Louis.

Harry nods, grin as big as can be. “Yeah! Got the badge from my home town, now I gotta get the rest of them. Just didn’t realise how many expenses there are living on the road, you know? My parents help some, but I figured if I got work along the way it’d increased my experience. Really make all this worthwhile.”

“So you’ll be wanting to hit up the Pewter gym then soon, right?”

“Not right away, but definitely at some point. I was hoping to get my Boulder Badge next.”

“You’ll want to talk to Liam about that then.” Louis claps Harry on the back. Liam blushes when Harry regards him.

“Oh, why’s that?”

“My, uh, family owns the gym,” Liam says, and Harry’s eyes pop.

“Liam’s one of the guys you’re gonna have to beat,” Louis crows. He’s seen Liam in action, and he’s formidable.

“Oh, wow,” Harry gapes. “I’ll definitely need to get a few pointers from you. I mean, if that’s… are you allowed to like, talk to trainers before battling them?”

“Yeah, yes,” Liam laughs. His face scrunches cheerily. “There aren’t any gym regulations preventing me giving you a few tips. I’d be happy to help.”

Harry beams and Louis feels like this hasn’t gone down the path of intimidation he’d hoped.

“How many pokémon do you have?” Harry asks Liam, leaning both arms on the table.

“Six, but I don’t always use all of them in a battle. Rarely, in fact. It depends on the trainer but I’ll usually stick with Machoke and Graveller.”

Harry visibly swallows. “Oh, so that’s your Machoke?”

“Or as I like to call him, the fourth Payne offspring,” Louis says.

Liam levels him with as unimpressed an expression as Louis believes he can muster. “Yes, he’s mine. Dad got him for me when I started training to work at the gym.”

“They did the same fitness routine, its why their physiques match,” Louis nods. Liam pegs a chip at his head.

“What about your pokémon, Harry?” Niall elbows him eagerly. “Caught many yet?”

“I already had a few before I set out to become a trainer!” His face lights up. “But I did catch my Horsea just last week.”

“Well come on, let’s see her!” Niall cheers.

“Oh, I don’t have her here. They’re all at the inn I’m staying at.”

“You don’t carry them around?”

“I don’t really like keeping them in their pokéballs.”

Louis frowns. “Don’t you wanna give them obedience training and all that nonsense?”

“I’d rather we just bond through mutual respect,” Harry shrugs. And Louis can’t help himself—the corner of his lip pulls up. He tamps it down fast.

“Well you should bring them along next time,” Niall says. “We could have a big play date, introduce them to the whole crew.”

“Next time,” Harry repeats, low and hopeful. “Yeah, that’d… be nice.”

Liam taps absently at the table. “Do you have a speciality?”

“Trying to pin his weaknesses?” Louis teases.

“No, I’m trying to get to know him,” Liam answers with a pointed look.

“Not really,” Harry shakes his head. “I like all types, would like to have a mix, when I’m more experienced. Your speciality is obviously rock types though, right?”

“Obviously,” Liam beams.

“I’m pretty keen on the normal types, if I’m honest,” Zayn shrugs, like there’s just nothing he can do about it. “Psychics are cool, though.”

Harry looks expectantly at Louis.

“Fire and electric types mostly.” And even Louis can hear the distinct lack of venom he’s directing towards Harry.

“I’m partial to grass types meself.”

“Just admit you love bugs and be done with it,” Louis groans, tossing a peanut, which Niall catches and eats.

“It’s his job to love bugs,” Zayn reasons.

Harry eagerly turns to Niall. “Are you a bug catcher?”

“Ranger out at Viridian Forest. Do catch a lot of bugs though, keep some of ‘em.”

“Too many of them,” Louis mutters.

“Doesn’t it go against your creed to hate any pokémon?” Zayn laughs, and Louis directs a stern finger his way.

“I have to keep them alive. I don’t have to like them.”

“What do you do when someone brings a bug type into the Centre?” Harry asks, brow furrowed.

“Assign someone else to the greenhouse.”

Niall snickers, earning one of Louis’ patented glares.

“A ranger, though, that’s so cool!” Harry turns back to Niall. “I considered becoming a ranger. We might’ve worked together.”

Niall seems pleased at this.

“So what about you, Zayn? What do you do? You said deliveries…?”

“I design my own brand of pokémon food, tailored to different types so it helps them develop whatever they specifically need. I deliver it around town too, to a few neighbours, the gym, the Centre. The PokéMart said they might be interested in stocking it so that’d be sick.”

“That’s amazing! I’d love to try some for my pokémon. Could I buy some?”

“Of course,” Zayn grins. “Next time I’m by the Centre I’ll show you what I’ve got and we can see what’d work best for your pokémon. Could even create a new blend if they needed it.”

“Also it doesn’t taste half bad,” Niall whispers out of the corner of his mouth.

“There’s no need to be so discreet, everyone knows you’ve tried it,” Louis laughs.

“Is that… okay?” Harry asks, a concerned tilt to his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s not toxic or anything,” Zayn reassures him. “It’d have nutrients for us too, but its not really designed for human consumption,” he says pointedly to Niall.

“I’m not gonna give them something I wouldn’t eat myself!” Niall argues.

“It’s pokémon food, the whole point is that they’re eating something you wouldn’t.”

Louis leans into Harry. “Sometimes we think Niall spends a little too much time in those woods.”

Harry chuckles. Niall lifts his chin like he’s got no regrets.

“So, um, Liam, would I be able to sit down with you sometime to get a few tips for earning my Boulder Badge?”

“For sure!” Liam shuffles forward eagerly. “I don’t know what your work schedule is like but just let me know when you’re free.”

“Are you like… busy with other trainers at the gym?”

“Nah, it’s a pretty quiet season, this time of year. Everyone who would’ve wanted to enter this year’s league would’ve had to register with their badges by now.”

“Yeah, poor Liam’s hard up for something to fill his time.” Zayn gives Liam a consoling shoulder rub.

“I don’t have _nothing_ to do, I’ve just got time for Harry, that’s all.”

“That’s not what you said when I wanted to go to the museum of science,” Zayn accuses, ripping his hand back.

“That’s because no one wants to go to the museum of science, Zayn,” Louis says ruefully.

“I’d go to a museum,” Harry chimes in.

***

As much as Louis is loathe to admit it, Harry is a natural at the Centre. He’s attentive and composed, follows instructions to the letter and always asks before administering treatment.

On his third day a Butterfree comes in with a broken wing, and he’s ever so gentle when laying it out in the cooling room, patient as he waits for it to grow sedated, and watches closely as Louis adjusts the wing. When a Kakuna with a broken shell comes in not long after, Harry seems upset at the little they can do, and keeps a watchful eye once it’s been placed in a UV pod.

“They heal themselves, we just give them the space and a little nudge along,” Jay tells him kindly, when she spots him at the door.

Louis’ still not used to someone walking in on him during lunch, but at least Harry’s learnt to keep the chatter to a minimum until they’re at the PokéPub. Zayn shows up at the end of each workday to invite him along, despite Louis almost straining all his facial muscles in warning.

At Harry’s request, they make a small detour to his inn so he can bring along Eevee, who he claims to be missing dearly with so much time away from her every day. It’s a sweet sight when Harry opens the door and Eevee is sat in the very middle of the room at attention, like she sensed his coming. She bounds forward and into his arms. Harry carries Eevee the rest of the way, which she seems most pleased about.

At the pub, Eevee chases Zayn’s Teddiursa around the legs of the table. Louis had stopped by his own home to pick up Jolteon, who hasn’t had a night out in a while, but the other two seem a little intimidated by him. Jolteon, front paws splayed, barks suddenly and Eevee leaps up into Harry’s lap and onto the table, knocking Niall’s pint.

“Hey, watch it!”

“Think Jolteon needs to learn how to ease into it, Tommo,” Zayn chuckles, as Jolteon sits back on her heels, head tipped at the sound of her name.

“She’s just being friendly, aren’t you,” Louis coos, scruffing at Jolteon’s mane. “Anyway, what’s Teddiursa’s problem? They’ve met before.”

“He’s meek,” Zayn says defensively, looking down at Teddiursa, who has one hand wrapped around Zayn’s leg, peeking at Jolteon.

“You’d think a Gengar spooked him,” Louis says, stretching his hand to Teddiursa, who creeps forward—they’ve always gotten along well.

Once the pokémon settle, Louis tunes back into the conversation happening above the table.

“Had to save another one from the caves last night,” Niall sighs.

Liam shakes his head. “When will these amateurs learn.”

“Do you…” Harry begins, turning to face Niall intently. “Do you mean the caves under Mount Moon?”

“Yeah, I patrol there occasionally. Always people underestimating what it takes to get through them. You wouldn’t believe—”

“ _Oh my god!_ ”

The table unanimously jumps at Harry’s exclamation, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“I’ve read so much about those caves! They say there are Clefairy in the caves because of the frequent meteor falls over the mountain! Is it true? Have you seen them?”

Harry eagerly inches closer to Niall, eyes getting steadily wider.

“Not myself,” Niall said, both hands raised to steady Harry. “Don’t really get the time to look when I’m on duty. But there are always reports.”

“I would give _anything_ to catch a Clefairy. Even just to see one would be…” Harry’s eyes gloss over. “They’re one of the most mysterious pokémon. Some scientists even hypothesise that they’re extra-terrestrial.”

“It’d be sick to see an alien pokémon,” Zayn perks up, before sinking into thought. “Wouldn’t have the first clue what to feed it, though.”

“Would you be willing to take me up there? As like a guide. I’d pay you!”

“Woah, woah, Harry, calm down,” Niall laughs. “Put your wallet away. We can check the caves one night if you want. I probably know the route better than most.”

“What do you say, lads?” Louis declares. “Midnight pokémon exploration. Let’s seek out those aliens!”

Harry looked positively jubilant when the other four all nod in agreement.

“Full moon’s coming up in a few nights, we could head out then,” Niall suggests.

“Why would you know that?” Liam’s face twists in confusion.

“When you spend a lot of time around wild pokémon, you get familiar with things that affect their moods,” Niall says in his best ranger voice. Louis, for one, feels thoroughly educated.

***

Route 3 is travelled by every trainer coming in and out of Pewter City. As someone who’s never had a reason to leave town, Louis isn’t terribly familiar with the area.

It’s rockier than he expected and even Charmeleon’s flame doesn’t expose all the oversized ditches he keeps stepping in. According to Harry, they’re allegedly created by meteors.

“If this route is so popular, why hasn’t anyone repaired it?” he snaps when his heel catches for the fourth time.

“It’s not really in the rangers’ wheelhouse,” Niall shouts from up ahead. The moon slips in and out from behind clouds, washing them in silver light every few minutes. 

“Who _is_ in charge of that sort of thing?” Liam asks, up towards Niall.

“In Viridian City the mayor would do all that stuff.”

Louis can see Harry taking long, slow steps, presumably to avoid a repeat of the very dramatic tumble he took five minutes ago. For the third time.

“Do we have a mayor?” Zayn, two steps ahead of Charmeleon, glances around.

Louis slows. “I actually don’t know.”

“We should probably know,” Liam balks.

“We’ll look into it when we get back.”

“If we get back,” Louis mutters, catching up to Charmeleon with his eyes on the ground.

“I don’t think the Clefairy are gonna take kindly to Charmeleon,” Niall warns.

“There’s no way we’re going on a midnight mission through a cave system without my fire pokémon,” Louis shouts. Charmeleon gives a haughty snuff.

Zayn has a detectable puff in his breath when he asks, “how much farther?”

“Not far!”

“There’s a distinct lack of measurement in that answer.”

By the sounds of it, Harry, Liam and Niall are a good jump ahead of Louis, Charmeleon, and Zayn. Louis clutches at his side with one hand; walking about town definitely doesn’t measure up to this kind of trek. He should’ve been more sceptical of Niall’s “easy as bitter berry pie!”

“We’re here!”

It takes him a minute to catch up enough to see they’ve reached a small canyon-like area. The mountain stretches up ahead over a gaping cave mouth. There’s an inexplicable patch of long grass by the mouth of the cave, and Louis wastes no time dropping down right in the middle of it.

Liam and Zayn sit toward the edge of the grass but Harry wanders closer to the cave, awe written all over his face. His head tips up towards the crown of the mountain.

Louis can tell Harry is eager to get moving, but he’s not going one step further without a break. “You’re not gonna see any Clefairy from here, come sit down.”

Zayn grabs at the bag slung over Liam’s shoulders. Inside are a collection of water bottles of which he’d been deemed designated carrier, on account—according to Louis—of his excessive fitness regime.

Louis pops out the trap wrapped around his bottle. It fills with water, and he sets it down for Charmeleon to lap at.

Harry drops down beside them. “How come you’ve never come out here before?” he asks in between lengthy sips. “You live so close.”

“I wouldn’t call the distance we just walked _close_.”

“Don’t you ever wanna explore, though? See what’s out there?”

“Unlike pokémon trainers, I don’t feel the need to go running off to every corner of the known world,” Louis scoffs. “I like my home, I like my town.”

“I like my town too, doesn’t mean what’s out there isn’t worth seeing.” Harry leans back on his hands, feet kicked out in front.

“It’s not like you’ve seen much of it.”

“Not yet. That’s kinda what I’m doing here.”

“Getting a job at the Pewter City Pokémon Centre is your idea of ‘seeing the world?’ Even for a trainer, that’s a sorry ambition.” Louis hasn’t forgotten Harry’s rather responsible reason for his temporary placement. He still feels a little vindicated by the way Harry’s eyebrows draw together.

“What’s your problem with trainers anyway?” Harry draws his legs into a criss-cross and sits forward.

“Who says I have a problem?” Louis counters, folding his arms.

“I think it’s pretty clear you have a problem.” One corner of Harry’s mouth tips up.

Louis scoffs. “Oh, I don’t know. Significant chunk of the population walking around telling their pokémon to fight each other for the sake of their own ambition. Just catching as many as they can, putting them through rigorous training day-in, day-out, battling each other anywhere, even if they’re days out from a Pokémon Centre, just so they can try to win themselves some prestige. Why would I have a problem with any of that?”

Harry is still, eyebrows jumping before he leans back again. “Boy.”

Louis blows out a low breath.

“Just, seems like a cruel reason for them to exist, so we can make them fight.”

Louis can see the gears turning behind Harry’s eyes, shifting thoughts until one locks into place.

“What about Liam? His whole livelihood is facilitating pokémon battles.”

“It—there’s a difference. He’s a professional. He doesn’t push pokémon to the point of mistreatment. The first lesson any gym leader will tell you is how to know when the battle is over. And you don’t have to wait for your pokémon to pass out to throw in the towel.”

Louis stops, swallows, and tries not to direct anger at Harry, who he reminds himself is still new and learning.

“The problem isn’t battles, I guess. The gyms are one of the only parts of the system that works, they have guidelines for battling. So does the league. It’s outside where the damage is done. It’s ambitious trainers doing whatever it takes to reach the league. Their pokémon are just tools.”

“Trainers love their pokémon,” Harry says, eyes fixed on Louis. “I love my pokémon.”

“You can love something and still hurt it,” Louis says. “Love’s not the problem, it's listening.”

Harry’s eyes drop, his brow dipping in thought again. It’s rare, Louis thinks, for a trainer to hear him out. Its rarer for them to take it in. He watches Harry, and feels a little warmth bloom in his chest.

“Alright, are we rested and recharged?”

Niall’s got his ranger voice back on as he stands to survey the group. They’re appropriately splayed to suggest not; Louis would point this out but then Harry’s jumping to his feet.

“Yes!”

“Give us a second.” Zayn collects the half-drained bottles and packs them back up for Liam to carry.

The lack of natural light in the cave leaves it almost pitch black. Louis’ never been in a cave, let alone at night. A shiver runs down his spine and he glances longingly back towards the ever-shrinking cave mouth. Soon the only thing guiding them forward is Charmeleon.

“How big is this place, anyway?” Louis puts a great deal of effort into keeping his voice steady.

“Three levels, and a lot of false turns if you don’t know where you’re going,” Niall says up ahead.

“Three?” This is sounding less like an adventure and more like an extreme sport with every passing minute.

“Do you walk through here a lot?” Harry asks, his left side illuminated by Charmeleon’s flame. The rest of him blends into the darkness.

“Don’t always have to come this far out. Mostly during peak seasons, or if someone gets too brave. I’ll do a patrol once a week though with the rangers from Route 4 to catch anyone who’s been wandering in circles.”

“Did you ever think of having, like, someone permanently stationed here as an escort?”

“If you find someone willing to hole up in a cave indefinitely, let me know.”

“What was that?” Zayn’s hand shoots out of nowhere and grabs Louis’ arm. He yelps, trying to brush him off.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Liam says.

“I heard like a flutter, like against a rock or something,” Zayn whispers.

“Can you loosen your grip?” Louis begs.

“As soon as we’re out of this cave, yeah.”

“Why’d you come if you’re gonna be so scared?”

“You think I’m gonna miss my chance to see an alien pokémon? And don’t talk so big, I can feel your goose bumps.”

Louis tries ineffectually to yank his arm away.

“I feel like I hear something too,” Harry murmurs, walking confidently ahead.

There’s a sudden scrape and Zayn’s fingers cut into the circulation of Louis’ arm.

“Stop!”

“No!”

“Guys, stop shouting.”

“Let Zayn claw into _your_ arm and see how it feels!”

There’s a sudden gust of air, an invisible flurry up ahead, and then something swarms at them from the darkness. There’s a unanimous scream and Zayn drops to the ground, pulling Louis down with him. He opens his eyes to see the tail end of a dark mass leave the radius of Charmeleon’s tail.

“Bloody Zubat!” Zayn yells, slamming his fist against the ground. Louis finally pulls himself free and hurries to join Niall while Liam helps Zayn up.

“Okay, we need to get through this cave as fast as possible,” Louis says. The wonder of the night has dissipated in the pitch black of the cave.

“We’re not even halfway yet!” Niall squawks, cuing a string of expletives from Zayn.

“That’s it! I’m going back.”

“You can’t go back alone!”

“Just try to stop me!”

“You’re gonna leave the only light you have to go walk the twenty minutes it’ll take to find the exit without even knowing which way it is?” Louis says flatly.

“Well… we should all go back. This isn’t safe anyway.”

“ _Excuse_ me, I’m keeping you pile of knuckleheads plenty safe!” Niall points at them all aggressively.

“We’re here for Harry, maybe we should ask him,” Liam suggests.

“Harry wanted to see the Clefairy, didn’t you? Harry?”

Louis does a tally of all the bodies standing in the circle of Charmeleon’s light.

“Oh god,” Zayn groans.

“How did we lose him?” Liam has both hands fisted in his own hair.

Louis watches the professional shutter drop from Niall’s face. He strides very purposefully into the darkness behind them, then does the same up ahead.

“Harry!” he calls; there’s no reply but his own echo.

“Did the Zubat… consume him?” Louis says slowly.

“They’re not carnivorous,” Niall whines, squinting nonsensically into the darkness.

“No pokémon are,” Zayn clarifies, rather shakily.

“Then why are you so scared?” Louis needles.

Zayn ignores him. “Where’d he go, then?”

“Further into the cave, I suppose,” Liam sighs, somewhat resigned.

Louis’ head drops back.

“Okay,” Niall announces, raising both hands. “This is no longer an exploratory mission, it’s now a rescue mission. Buddy up.”

“ _Now_ we’re splitting up?” Louis cries.

“It’s efficient.”

“It’s very obviously a suggestion from the only professional here. We’re amateurs.”

“ _You’re_ an amateur. I have every faith in Liam, and Zayn doesn’t look to be letting him go anytime soon so you’re with me.”

Louis notices Zayn clutching at Liam like a lifeline. “I am offended by what you said but it _has_ put me with the ranger, so. Okay.”

“Good. Liam, you got a light?”

“Yeah, Zayn’s got us set.”

There’s a red flash and—

“ _Haunter_.”

Haunter floats four feet above the ground, slightly luminescent, enough to give the tunnel an eerie glow.

“We need to find Harry,” Zayn says, and Haunted bobs in a manner reminiscent of nodding before floating towards the nearest cave wall.

“No!” Liam and Zayn cry unanimously. Haunter, halfway through the wall, doubles back until it’s completely visible again.

“ _Haunter_?”

“Together, we need to find Harry _together_ ,” Zayn qualifies. “We need you to guide us through the tunnels.”

“ _Haunter_.”

Haunter turns to hover down the passage. Liam and Zayn release a collective sigh before following. Louis watches them disappear down the left-hand prong of the forked tunnel.

Niall steps aside and sweeps his arm before Charmeleon. “After you.”

Charmeleon lifts his chin with an air of superiority and leads them towards the right tunnel.

“Do you know every tunnel in this cave?” Louis asks, eying Niall’s confident gait.

“Pretty much. It’s like muscle memory, you know?”

“If you say so.”

The darkness is so absolute, they can barely see more than a few feet ahead as they move. Louis eyes the cave wall as it gently curves one way and another, leading them deeper into the mountain.

“Charmeleon’s flame could do with a bit of a boost,” Niall says, his brow a mirror to Louis’ frown as they both try to see ahead.

“Excuse me, Charmeleon’s flame is perfectly f—ine!” Louis trips over his last word as his foot kicks into an errant rock. A thin column of smoke rises out of Charmeleon’s nostrils.

“Maybe you should get Harry to train it up, nice and strong,” Niall chuckles.

Louis laughs, derisive. “ _No_ , thank you.”

“Why not, he could be good?”

“Yeah, Charmeleon doesn’t need a trainer, thanks.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on him, you know. They’re not all so bad.”

Louis sighs, heavy and loud. “No, I know. I just… yeah, he’s not so bad.”

“Wow, that was almost kind.”

Louis elbows him. “Baby steps.”

“If anything, I’m sure working at a Pokémon Centre will teach him to be better. If he can see what you see, he’ll learn the consequences.”

Louis thinks of everything Harry’s already seen, and the care with which he treats every pokémon that comes into the Centre. He’s got a gentle touch, born of a gentle heart. If Louis’ completely honest with himself, he doesn’t think he can imagine Harry as ruthless.

He nods, hoping Niall is right.

Louis would later deny the sound he makes when Haunter materialises through the cave wall.

“Any luck?” Niall asks, while Louis composes himself.

“ _Haunter_!”

“Fantastic! Lead the way then.”

Haunter begins to shift back through the wall.

“A way we can follow!” Louis cries, his urgent tone pulling Haunter back.

It’s a few good minutes of very blindly trusting Haunter before a spot of light appears ahead. It’s soft, but sits in stark contrast to the complete darkness of the tunnels.

“Hallelujah!” Louis sprints into the open air with Niall and Charmeleon on his heels. Fresh air envelopes him lovingly; he hadn’t realised just how confined he’d felt under the mountain.

He’s very quickly shushed by Liam, who he feels should be a little happier to see him. He’s about to say as much when Liam lifts a finger to his lips and indicates behind himself.

Past Zayn and Haunter is Harry, crouched behind a thick line of bushes. His neck cranes above the foliage where—

“Oh my god,” Niall breathes. He and Louis step forward, struck dumb.

Ahead is a large grassy clearing surrounded by rock walls, the mountain stretching up on all sides. In the centre are dozens and dozens of Clefairy dancing in wide, concentric circles. They hop and jump and float in ways that suggest gravity doesn’t quite have a hold on them, moving rhythmically, in sync.

They’re chanting, their combined voices loud enough for the _clefai-ry, clefai-ry, clefai-ry_ to fill the mountainous alcove. It’s hypnotising; by the time Louis peels his eyes away he’s not sure how long they’ve been there.

The full moon is impossibly bright after so long in the caves, and Louis ducks down with Harry behind the bushes, feeling exposed.

Harry turns to him, absolutely beaming. His teeth are on full display, his cheeks indented and pressed up beneath shining eyes. Louis feels his own mouth curve up as if Harry’s cheer could catch.

“There’s so many of them,” Harry whispers.

“Sick,” Zayn hums, and Louis turns to see that all five of them are crouched down, eyes and mouths wide.

Louis isn’t sure he buys into the theory that Clefairy come from outer space, but looking at them now, he has to admit there’s something unearthly about them. They break off into smaller circles, spinning out and filling the clearing, still somehow in sync, like there’s some kind of hive mind between them. Louis doesn’t know enough about them to discount the possibility.

The group nearest to them loosens its formation, the circle widening as one particular Clefairy twirls away from the others. Harry subtly rises, almost magnetically. The movement is enough to catch Clefairy’s attention; it comes to a slow stop as its friends spin on.

Harry freezes, and the five of them collectively wait with baited breath to see what it will do. Its eyes wander idly between them all, rather more relaxed than Louis would’ve expected for such a notoriously illusive pokémon.

It creeps forward, hands lightly clasped and mouth a perfect little ‘o.’

Louis gently nudges Harry’s arm.

“Well? Go on then.” He tilts his chin towards Clefairy; Harry’s eyes follow the movement.

“What?”

“This is your chance,” Louis whispers, fingers tapping on the pokéballs strapped to Harry’s belt.

“I—”

“Go on Harry,” Zayn echoes. “Go catch an alien.”

Harry looks over at Niall and Liam as if seeking permission. They nod, eyes wide, and that seems license enough for him to slowly straighten, breath shallow and eyes on Clefairy.

He steps from between the bushes but his foot catches on a branch and sends him stumbling out into the clearing. Louis flinches, expecting Clefairy to startle and flee, but it stays still, just watching.

“It’s so curious,” Niall whispers.

When Harry’s successfully upright once more, he clears himself of the bushes and goes very still. There’s a strange communion between him and the pokémon. Harry watches Clefairy, Clefairy watches Harry.

Louis hisses, “it’s not gonna walk itself into your pokéball!”

Harry jerks, nods, and pulls one from his belt.

Clefairy remains quite calm when the flash of red is replaced by Psyduck.

Psyduck’s head tilts, its ever-puzzled expression firmly in place. It looks at Clefairy, and then all the other Clefairy, and then back at Harry, one hand held to its head. Clefairy seems appropriately unfazed by this new addition. Despite Louis’ ever-diminishing patience, Psyduck, Clefairy, and Harry remain immobile, eyes moving between each other.

After so long that Louis is sure the moon itself has travelled further across the sky, Harry finally says, “confusion,” in a low voice. Psyduck looks at Harry, then slowly raises both its hands.

“ _Psy_ ,” it quacks, rocking its arms to a metronomic rhythm. Its hands glow an unearthly purple. The light reflects in Clefairy’s eyes and then its entire body goes slack.

Harry subtly pulls an empty pokéball from his pocket and throws it.

Clefairy is silently swallowed up by bright, bright red before the pokéball drops to the grass.

The ball wobbles in place. Louis feels like he can’t breathe. Harry is perhaps even more still than usual, the six of them completely frozen (including Psyduck, which is not unusual), and then, finally, the ball goes still.

Harry tenses, fists balled, and turns with his widest grin of the night.

“Nice!” Liam cheers under his breath, the others looking equally pleased.

Harry darts forward to grab the ball and holds it to his chest affectionately. He rejoins them on the other side of the bushes.

“I can’t believe it,” he breathes, cheeks bright pink.

Zayn pats him on the back. “You gonna name it?”

Before Harry can respond, Louis groans. “Please tell me you’re not one of those.”

“He can name his pokémon if he wants,” Zayn argues quite calmly.

“Not everyone’s criteria for dignity are the same as yours, Mr Named-My-Voltorb- _Zap_.”

“No names,” Harry says, still cradling the pokéball. “Just Clefairy, to me. I’ve wanted one for so many years. I’d rather it kept its own name.”

Louis nods in approval.

The chanting from the rest of the Clefairy starts to peter out, slowing until they’re just turning gently in place on their toes. Eventually they fall mostly silent, only the occasional _clefairy_ among them rather than anything unanimous.

There’s an odd peace over the night, a strange spirituality to the moment. They stand in their little circle, Harry and his new pokémon at the centre of them. Louis used to be surprised by the way pokémon can affect their environment. But he’s learned there’s so much to them – so much more than people understand.

It’s something, he thinks, that’s an honour to witness.

***

Louis wakes to the soft light of morning behind his eyelids. He shifts, presses his face to the pillow. There’s a pleasant ache in his muscles after traipsing hours through a cave, one that may not feel so pleasant once he’s got to be up for work.

The sheets rustle by his head. Louis sighs.

“Okay, boy,” he croaks, reaching one hand out to soothe Arcanine. “I know, brekky.”

His hand lands on something that is decidedly not Arcanine’s furry head, and he opens his eyes to bring the world blearily into view.

“GOD!” he shrieks, shooting back and away from Caterpie, who is perched just by his pillow. “NIALL.”

Caterpie stirs and he presses back, shoulders digging painfully into the wall. He smacks the wall with his palm three times. “NIALL!”

There’s a distant groan, the familiar thump of feet hitting the floor one room over, and Louis spends the intermittent fifteen seconds trying to prod Caterpie away with his foot through the blanket. Niall appears, very squinty, at the door.

 “You ri-i-ight?” he yawns.

“What the hell is it doing here?”

“What?”

“You know damn well what!” Louis points at him furiously. “Of all the places, _my bed_?” His face twists—his sacred space.

Niall staggers forward, reaching a hand out for Caterpie to latch on. “’S just hungry.”

“I don’t care! I don’t have its food, why is it coming to me?” As soon as Caterpie is safely atop Niall’s shoulder, Louis jumps to his feet and begins stripping his bed.

“It likes you,” Niall shrugs, stroking Caterpie. It chirps appreciatively.

Louis shudders and bundles up the bedding in his arms. “I gotta start some laundry and shower.”

“Calm down,” Niall rolls his eyes, but there’s a smirk dancing around his lips. “If it bothers you so much, close your door.”

“I shouldn’t _have_ to close my own door in my own house,” Louis bites, shoving past him. Caterpie chirps after him.

Spotting the silhouette of Spinarak on the bathroom window halfway through his shower does not improve Louis’ mood.

***

Louis snaps a pair of rubber gloves over his hands and lets Vaporeon sniff at his fingers briefly.

“Alright there?”

Vaporeon snuffs softly, lowering her head. Louis leans forward over the padded observation table where Vaporeon lies, running his fingers every so gently along the webbing at her nape. It’s a notoriously sensitive area and Louis doesn’t want any more of a mess in the Aquatic Room than there normally is.

He can feel water soaking up the cuff of his pants—everything is so perpetually wet in here, it’s an ongoing risk but something they’ve long learned to live with. No amount of clean-up seems to stop water getting all over each time a new pokémon is brought in.

Vaporeon lies very still, quite relaxed under his hands. He strokes by the ridge running down her back through the examination. Louis would say it’s about fifty-fifty between pokémon that go easy and those that struggle. Although he’s always found that the more pokémon there are in the centre, the more likely new patients are to relax. He thinks it’s something to do with safety in numbers, or a sense of security that they aren’t without their own kind.

There are quite a few pokémon in the Aquatic Room today—more than any other ward. Vaporeon seems soothed by it.

“Think you’re looking good, love,” he whispers, once he’s sure he’s been thorough enough. She whines agreeably, allowing him to straighten up and nod before hopping down onto the floor.

Vaporeon immediately returns to the moderately sized pool and dives in, remaining submerged while Louis removes his gloves and dries himself off. She eventually resurfaces for a breath as Louis is reaches the door. A Dewgong that’s been with them for a few days seems overjoyed to be back in her company. Louis smiles and leaves them to it.

Out in the hall Harry passes with a cart full of food trays. He’s got a dreamy smile on his face, one he’s had since last night. Louis suspects if he got close enough he’d see little Clefairys dancing in formation around his irises.

Louis slides into step beside him. “You headed to the Recovery Room?”

“Greenhouse,” Harry shakes his head.

Louis does a one-eighty, suddenly very committed to checking in at the Aviary. “Goodbye.”

“You’ve never been in there with me, you know?” Harry laughs, half-turned towards him.

“Just remembered—gotta check the stocks! Can’t let them get low.” He waves Harry off like he’s already late.

“Stocks of what?”

“The stocks, Harry.”

“I’ll be in there a while if you wanna pop in!” The grin is evident in his voice.

“Not likely,” Louis mumbles under his breath.

Just as he slips out his card to open the door, there’s a muffled commotion from the front room. Nurse Jay rushes out from behind the desk on the other side of the glass staff door. The red headlight above the door flares bright, so Louis changes course.

There’s a young woman breathing heavily, arms buried in the thick wool of a Mareep. It appears unconscious and Nurse Jay hurries over to help her support its weight.

“Please,” she cries, her voice shaking. “She—we were in a battle out on route 2. She’s hurt—please.”

Louis pulls one of the vacant gurneys from behind the desk and they ease Mareep onto the bed. The bulb at the tip of its tail blinks feebly. Louis runs his fingers through the wool. It’s horribly dry, singed and coarse against his skin.

“Please,” the trainer repeats.

“We’ll take good care of her,” Nurse Jay assures her, already wheeling the gurney away. Louis guides it back behind the desk and sees Harry standing in the open doors, a hand hovering loosely over his lips.

“Help me get it to the Charging Room,” Louis cuts off whatever’s working its way out of Harry’s mouth. He’s quick to respond, swiping them in so Louis can hurry through.

“Can you grab a super potion,” Louis says when Harry lets them through the second door. This time Harry pauses, staring at Louis. “Now, _quick_.”

Harry moves double time, pulling the appropriate vial from the shelf and a clean teat from the labelled drawer.

Jolteon is already at Louis’ side before he calls, her hackles raised to attention.

“You ready, girl?” He unhooks a conductive cable, uncoiling it and leaning down to Jolteon’s level. She’s calm, eyes dark and focused as Louis loops the end of the cable around her neck. He gives her a passing scratch behind the ear as he pulls away and buries the other end of the cable deep into Mareep’s wool.

Harry hovers nervously, potion gripped in both hands.

“Gently feed it the bottle when it wakes up, okay?”

Harry’s lips purse as he focuses on Louis and nods. There’s a slight tremor in his hands, exaggerated by his effort to keep them steady.

“Okay,” Louis says, looking at Jolteon. “Easy to start, we just want to wake her up.”

Jolteon yips, then goes very still with concentration.

“Stay clear,” Louis tells Harry, who pulls his hands away.

Sparks crackle around Jolteon’s mane, running through the cable and sparking across Mareep’s wool. The current seems muted when it reaches the wool, like it won’t conduct properly. Louis frowns; the damage to its coat won’t allow it to carry the charge.

“Wait,” he murmurs, crossing to the drawers and pulling out a small tub and two gloves. They snap against his skin when he pulls them on. He swipes three fingers into the tub and they come up metallic.

“What—”

“Graphite, just to help the charge.” He finds the end of the cable deep in Mareep’s wool and tries to distribute the graphite powder around the area before pulling his hand clear. “We can wash her later. Jolteon, again.”

Electricity crackles across Mareep’s coat this time, still not as strong as Louis would like, but well enough.

“One more,” Louis whispers.

Jolteon complies, and Mareep’s eyes hazily blink open.

“That’s it, that’s it.” Louis holds a hand up to Jolteon, whose posture goes lax. Mareep give a weak bleat, but Harry’s already easing a soft hand beneath its head, tipping the bottle to its mouth. Mareep takes it easily and Harry releases a small breath; the corner of his mouth twitches.

It takes a few minutes with Mareep so weak, but eventually the bottle is empty.

“Okay, ready to go again,” Louis asks Jolteon, who’s lying flat on her front. She rises to all fours and growls in the affirmative.

They take it slow, a series of soft currents to steer Mareep back from critical. Louis spreads more graphite across its back to make sure Jolteon’s Thunderwave is more immersive. Mareep seems somewhat soothed by it.

Eventually Mareep’s tail has a very faint but steady glow when he tests her charge, so Louis deems her HP high enough that she can rest the night without dropping down to dangerous levels.

Harry, who’s been administering potion to her on and off during the treatment, releases a great breath, running two fingers between Mareep’s eyes tenderly.

“Let’s get her into one of the charging pods,” Louis says, snapping off his gloves and pointing at an open slot between a Magnamite and a Pichu. They’d both perked up when Mareep came in, but they’ve settled now. Harry helps him wheel the gurney over until it locks against the wall. Louis connects two cables to the bed so it can emit a low-level charge overnight—Mareep shouldn’t even feel it—allowing her to rest.

Louis nudges Harry, whose eyes haven’t left Mareep since she woke up. “Come on, she’ll be okay.” He still takes a second to follow him out.

Nurse Jay is crossing the hall when they both step outside.

“How’d she do?”

“Administered a super potion and gentle current to get her conscious,” Louis reports, his tone formal but worn. “She’s in a charging pod now, she’ll need a slow recovery but she’ll be okay.”

Jay nods. “I’ll inform the trainer we want to keep her a few days.”

Louis watches his mum head back out the front, hoping the trainer agrees. He always feels a sharp drop in adrenaline after an emergency and craves the nearest chair he can drop into.

Harry follows him into the storeroom, where he downs half a bottle of water and props his feet up on the desk. Harry leans beside his feet, still wearing a pair of mint, disposable gloves. His fingers are bare underneath, a lesson he learned his first day. Louis only sees him covered in rings during post-work drinks, now.

“That’s the first time you’ve let me assist,” Harry says thoughtfully.

“What?”

“With the treatment, that’s the first emergency where you let me help.”

Louis watches him slide back onto the desk, feet still scraping the floor when they swing. “No need to get dramatic, you haven’t been here that long.”

“No, I know, just,” Harry shrugs, “first time.”

“Had to happen eventually.”

They’re quiet for a moment. Louis often comes in here to sit on his own after emergencies. He’s usually alone, though, thinks people tend to leave him to it. He’s not accustomed to being engaged in conversation during his wind down, but turns out… it’s not so bad.

“I get it, now. What you meant, about trainers.”

Harry’s pulling the gloves off each finger one by one, eyes low. Louis holds back the tide that rushes up inside him, just nods instead.

“She should never have pushed Mareep to that point, she should’ve stopped the battle before that.” He gets one glove off and starts on the next.

“It’s bound to happen,” Louis says, resigned. “Trainers meeting on the road, bolstered by ego. They never know when to quit, think that if they just believe, their pokémon will level up out of sheer will power.”

Harry looks at him, jaw set. “I won’t ever be like that with my Pokémon, it’s—it’s irresponsible. I know better.”

For the first time since their meeting, Louis is aware of Harry’s dimensions, at the way he’s very much looking down at Louis, even when Louis perhaps feels he’s looking down in return.

“I’m never going to be that kind of trainer.”

Louis thinks of Harry gently brushing a Vulpix on his first day here; he thinks of the very young Phanpy he so happily stayed late to nurse. He remembers Harry tweezing a poison sting from a Wooper’s tail with kind reassurances, and only moments ago, stroking a woozy Mareep with genuine affection. Louis has met many trainers in his life, some of whom were more compassionate than others. Harry, though, stands apart. Harry, he believes.

“I know,” he nods, and Harry nods firmly back.

***

“Liam! Good to see you, lad.”

“Louis, I swear to God—”

“Oh there you are! Sorry, sorry.” He claps Machoke on the shoulder and slides into the outdoor booth beside Liam, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Arcanine throws his front paws up onto the table beside him, nose pointing eagerly towards the bowl of nuts. Louis in no way interrupts this.

Harry, not far behind, lets his pokémon out of their pokéballs—newly among them, Clefairy. There aren’t as many people out tonight, so the PokePub garden is filled largely with their group’s pokémon. Teddiursa toddles quickly over to Clefairy the moment she appears; the two of them seem to have struck up something of a close friendship. Zayn arcs his neck to watch them fondly.

Clefairy stays quite close to Harry’s legs, shy but curious around other species of pokémon. Teddiursa and Harry’s Eevee are equally encouraging, drawing her into the group. Liam’s Sandshrew and Niall’s Tangela echo their own names in greeting.

“Clefairy loved the food you left for her, by the way,” Harry tells Zayn once he’s seated. He’s still got his eye on Clefairy—like a new mother, just keeping watch.

“Sick. We can still adjust it, see if we can tailor it more for her needs. I wanna get a little more acquainted, though.”

“Yeah, I’m still getting to know her myself,” Harry laughs. “Accidentally startled her last night and I think she tried to use Hidden Power on me.”

“Oooo, alien powers,” Louis perks up. “Maybe you should do it on purpose next time, see what happens.”

“Do we actually think it’s an extra-terrestrial?” Niall asks, craning to get another look at her.

“Of course it is, look at it!” Louis juts his hand out dramatically. Clefairy’s eyes drift to Louis, and then to Harry, who smiles.

“What do you mean, _of course_?” he asks Louis before directing his most babyish tone Clefairy’s way. “She looks perfectly terrestrial.”

Zayn’s eyes flick between the them. “Is there a way to look terrestrial?”

“They still haven’t proven whether its alien or not,” Harry shrugs. “Anyway, if any of us would know, it’d be you, Niall. You’re the one up at Mt Moon every other week.”

“I’d never actually seen any until last night,” Niall says, picking through a handful of peanuts. Arcanine is watching him closely.

“You know, I don’t even know how we did find them last night,” Liam frowns. “We were following Haunter, and no offense Zayn but it wasn’t the most methodical of searches I’ve ever been on.”

“Methodical isn’t exactly its strong suit,” Zayn admits. They all look at Haunter, who is hovering above Charmeleon on the other side of the garden. It’s pulling its face into distorted shapes, crossing its eyes and sticking out its tongue. Charmeleon crosses its arms, decidedly unamused.

“Tough crowd,” Niall laughs.

“Think Charmeleon knows exactly where Haunter learnt to do that,” Liam says, eying Louis.

“How did I know it would pick up everything it saw,” Louis shrugs.

“I should’ve known better than to have you babysit,” Zayn rolls his eyes. “It’s been like living with Louis ever since.”

“Nothing but bad habits to pick up,” Liam tuts, sympathetically.

Louis shoves at Liam’s shoulder. “Excuse me!”

“It was hard enough to train before you got involved,” Zayn smirks.

“I am nothing but an asset, thank you very much. Niall will vouch, I’m a top roommate.”

“You’re my best mate but let’s not kid ourselves, the mess leaves something to be desired.”

“I gotta stop asking for your help.”

“What? Aside from the cleanliness issue, you’re great!”

“Arcanine, Flamethrower!”

Arcanine’s ears flicker, but its eyes remain trained on Niall’s palmful of nuts.

Zayn’s face scrunches up in laughter. “You really do need a trainer to take a look at your pokémon.”

“He’ll be aiming the Flamethrower at you next,” Liam warns.

“I dunno, maybe I’m warming up to trainers,” Louis muses, smirking at Harry.

“Hold on, did anyone record that?” Liam rests both hands on the table, eyes scanning eagerly. “Do we have that on the record?”

“So, young Harold,” Louis interrupts, rising up onto his knees so he can swipe at Liam before propping his chin up with both hands. “How long will we have you then? You’ll be moving on eventually to collect the rest of those badges and become the very best.”

Harry tips his head and pouts thoughtfully.

“I don’t know,” he hums. “Think I might be here for a while.”

**Author's Note:**

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